Okeil: Cultural diversity in Africa produces a national identity that works to solve crises and advance the continent

Pasha: Cultural heritage can be a driver for achieving sustainable development goals

Hidi Shoukry: At the International Organization for Migration, we work to integrate the cultures of immigrants in Egypt

Seif Suleiman: Regional divisions must be set aside to enhance the identity of African citizens

 

Coinciding with the celebration of Africa Day, which African countries celebrate on May 25 of each year, Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration, organized a cultural event to promote the spirit of African unity, cultural identity and common values, and to establish heritage, arts and culture as basic pillars for strengthening African interdependence, with the presence of many Africans residing in Egypt of different nationalities.

The event began with a panel discussion on "African immigrants and refugees and their role in enriching the Egyptian heritage". It was moderated by Abdul-Rahman Pasha, Director of the Sustainable Development Unit at Maat, who stressed the importance of culture as an essential link to achieving sustainable development, as both tangible and intangible cultural heritage are resources that can be a driver for achieving the sustainable development goals.

While international human rights expert Ayman Okeil indicated that Africa is one of the continents harboring indigenous peoples, which causes a crisis related to citizenship in a number of countries, due to the multiplicity of loyalties, stressing that cultural diversity is what distinguishes Africa, and it can become an effective tool for achieving integration and interaction, thus producing a national identity that helps in resolving crises and advancing the African continent.

On her part, Hidi Shoukry, from the direct assistance program of the International Organization for Migration, said that the International Organization for Migration in Egypt is working to develop and raise the capabilities of migrants, through coordination with the state, and focuses on transferring the experience of Egyptian migrants and expatriates to Egyptians, as well as community cohesion and integration of migrants, and the integration of migrants’ cultures in host communities.

While Youssef Al-Awal, a researcher in political science, stressed that celebrating Africa Day obligates us to continue working so that Egypt restore its role in Africa, based on the approach adopted by the Egyptian state in this regard in recent years, and focusing on integrating migrants in Egypt with their different cultures and customs without change.

Seif Suleiman, a Sudanese journalist, also said that after 59 years of independence for all African countries, Africa has not achieved the required development, although it is a young continent, adding that the African Union’s agenda 2063 is not effective, as a result of foreign ambitions. For example, 2019 Silencing the Guns initiative has not borne fruit after 3 years and armed conflicts are still prevalent in most regions of the continent.

It is worth noting that within the framework of the event, a cultural exhibition was held for African countries, and each group of different countries displayed heritage products, clothes and customs that express their culture and identity, highlighting their handicraft skills and marketing their products. The products shown in the exhibition reflected the nature of each culture by highlighting its distinctive details. Artists and actors of a number of countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea and Senegal participated in the exhibition to show their culture, history, and handicraft skills such as paintings, sculptures and African fabrics, in addition to the presence of heritage foods from African cuisine..